Amelia Swan writes contemporary, erotic, and new adult romance. She’s interested
in characters that are smart, sincere, and somewhat artistically inclined. All of
her heroines are girls she could totally see herself being friends with.

Book Title: Hot and Cold

Brief Synopsis:

When figure skating coach Jill Davis, locked eyes with “Hot Hockey Dad”, she’s convinced
that the well-dressed, impossibly handsome man just caught her and her friend staring
at him. When he pulls her aside in the rink’s snack bar and introduces himself as
Jeremy Rosario, Jill knows there was more to the look they shared from across the
ice surface than she initially thought.It quickly becomes clear that Jill and Jeremy
have serious chemistry, but will that be enough to get them past the trouble that
Jeremy’s ex-wife stirs up? As she is trying to navigate her new relationship, Jill
is preparing her most talented student for her first regional competition while the
girl’s mom does her best to thwart the young coach at every turn.

Personal

What do you do to relax when you are not writing?

I read, walk my dog, and do lots of yoga.

What, or who, inspired you to become a writer?

No one person or thing inspired me. I started writing stories for my 8th grade language
arts class and loved it. That’s when I knew for sure I wanted to be a writer.

Current work

What or who inspired you to write your current novel?

Figure skating has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. I’ve trained,
competed, performed, coached, and choreographed. It made sense for one of my first
books to be about one of the things I love most.

Tell us three interesting facts about your book which are not covered in the synopsis.

1) Evan and Molly are Jill’s colleagues and closest friends. They’re a lot of fun.

2) Jill is a little offbeat. She has a bunch of butterflies tattooed up her arm,
a nose piercing, and a penchant for superhero comics and fantasy novels.

3) Not only is Jeremy a model dad, but he’s also a successful lawyer.

What research did you need to do for this book?

For this book, I didn’t have to do any. As someone who spent nearly two decades heavily
involved with figure skating, I know an awful lot about the discipline.

Are any elements/characters of your book based on real life experiences or people
you’ve met/known?

Jeremy, the hero in my story, is loosely based off of a cute hockey dad that used
to come watch his son play at one of the rinks I taught at.

Tell us a little about your current work-in-progress.

I’m currently working on a follow-up to my debut short story, For Dylan. It takes
a look at how the relationship between Jay, Claire, and Dylan has evolved. I’m also
working on my first paranormal romance novel. Now that book has required a lot of
research! I have a new adult release coming up that is currently in the editing process,
and I’m really excited about it. It’s called Drawn Together, and it’s my favourite
book that I’ve written yet.

Writing/publication process

What process did you adopt from inception through to the finished book?

I wrote this book using embarrassingly little pre-planning. I just kind of came up
with a loosely structured idea and went with it, editing as I went along.

What do you need (or not need) around you whilst writing?

I’m not really particular. I can write almost anywhere. I do most of my writing while
my husband is sitting next to me playing video games. If we’re together, we’ll usually
throw the WWE Network on in the background.

How easy did you find it getting a publisher?

Finding a publisher is all about luck. I’ve had an easy time placing some of my work,
and I have a piece I finished over a year ago that still needs a home.

What were the three biggest challenges you faced when writing your book?

3) Remembering that I know much more about figure skating than the general public
does.

Every author seems to suffer with writer’s block at some point. How do you overcome
it?

I do a couple of things. Step away and work on something else. Go back and edit the
rest of the story. Jump ahead and write something that happens further along.

What single piece of advice would you give to any aspiring writer?

Read the genre you want to write in. You’ll get so many ideas.

Genre

What genre does your book fall into?

It’s a sexy romance.

How did you get interested in this specific genre?

For years I’d been saying I was going to write a book, but I never actually sat down
and wrote. So, a couple of years ago I was reading an erotic romance and decided
to give that genre a shot after a few months of struggling to come up with ideas
for short stories. It clicked, and I haven’t written anything other than romance
since.

You as a reader

Which three authors have inspired you the most, and why?

1) Kurt Vonnegut. Reading his work makes me want to be a better author.

2) Walt Whitman. I did an independent study on Leaves of Grass during my senior year
of college and really connected with his philosophies.

3) Jessica Sorenson. Reading a Sorenson romance is a truly beautiful and emotional
experience. I strive to write as powerfully as she does.

What was your favourite book as a child?

I loved Shiloh. As soon as my niece and nephew are old enough, I’m buying them a
copy.

What is the best book you’ve read in the last 12 months?

Up until last Thanksgiving, I’ve never read any of the Harry Potter books. But my
husband is a big fan of the series, so after years of being one of the only people
on the face of the Earth not to know what “Avada kedavra” means, I finally gave in
and listen to all six audio books. And I loved them!

What was the last book you recommended to a friend, and why did you think it was
worthy of recommendation?

I’m about to recommend Kristen Proby’s With Me In Seattle series to my mom and sister.
They’re my fellow romance junkies.

Kindle (or other e-reader) or paperback, and why?

When they first came out, I was really against e-readers. Now I love them! If I still
was buying a hard copy of every single book I read, my whole house would be filled
with them.

Hollywood is calling

You’ve had the call from Hollywood and they want your opinion on who should play
the leading roles in the film based upon your book. Who would you choose, and why?

Jennifer Lawrence or Keira Knightley would both make a good Jill. Off the top of
my head, I can’t think of anyone who I’d want cast as Jeremy. I’d be open to searching
for some new talent when it came to filling his role.

The film of your book is now going to need a soundtrack. Which musician(s) would
you want to write and play it?

Well, the soundtrack would have a lot of classical music, because it’s what would
be playing around the rink. I could see Jill listening to classic Punk bands like
The Ramones or The Sex Pistols when she’s hanging around her apartment.

Favourites

Drink – Coffee

Meal – Pasta or something from the vegan Chinese food place down the street. I was
going to say a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but my husband says that isn’t a
meal!